Summary

As electric vehicle (EV) populations increase across the United States, airports have an elevated role in planning for charging infrastructure. Annual EV sales have increased dramatically over the past decade; over 900,000 EVs were sold in 2022 in the United States, accounting for 8% of all new light-duty vehicle (LDV).¹ Figure 1 shows historical EV sales and charger installations.

As of July 2023, nearly four million EVs and 160,000 public electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) ports were in use in the United States.² Going forward, this growth is expected to continue. The White House has established a goal of 50% of new LDV sales to be electric by 2030.³ The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that by 2030 there will be 33 million EVs on the road and 10 times more public chargers will be needed than in 2023.⁴

Figure 1. Annual U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales and Public Charger Installations

Source: Alliance for Automotive Innovation (left), U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center (right)

This transformation is already impacting landside and airside operations at airports. Electric ground support equipment (eGSE), passenger vehicles, rental car fleets, buses, and other vehicle types are being deployed in increasingly greater numbers. However, the rate of EV deployment differs by region. In California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado, EVs accounted for more than 10% of new passenger vehicle sales in 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.⁵ On the other hand, the six states with the

lowest EV penetration had EV sales rates of less than 2%. Much of the difference at the state level is driven by state-level policy. For example, 16 states representing roughly one-third of the U.S. vehicle market have adopted regulations to achieve 100% zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) sales for passenger vehicles by 2035.⁶ Furthermore, other states have regulations requiring electrification of medium- and heavy-duty (MDHD) fleet vehicles, such as transit buses, delivery vehicles, and ground support equipment. For example, in California the Zero-Emission Airport Shuttle Regulation requires 100% of airport shuttle operators at the 13 largest airports in the state to transition to 100% ZEVs by December 31, 2035, and all new shuttle vehicles purchased after 2023 must be ZEVs.⁷

As the number of EVs at airports scales, so does the demand for EV chargers—and the demand for electricity. One recent estimate suggests that electricity demand at airports may double within ten years or less.⁸ Certain charger types in particular—such as eGSE—create large loads which can require extensive upgrades to the distribution system (Figure 2). The new electricity demand is also an opportunity for airports. For example, EVs provide airports with new ways to generate revenue from tenants, passengers, ground transportation organizations, and others.

Because of the diversity of charging needs at airports and the varied policy environments in which airports operate, there is no single roadmap that describes how to best install EV charging. Further, an airport may use multiple approaches to owning and operating charging infrastructure. To help simplify this complex space, this guide categorizes charging into eight use cases (Figure 3), including eGSE, electric aircraft, passenger and employee parking, airport fleet vehicles, non-airport owned airside vehicles, bus and shuttlebus, rental cars, and for hire vehicles. To the extent possible, the guide points out lessons and resources specific to each use case. However, much of the information is not use case-specific.

This guide was developed as a primer to help educate airport staff and practitioners on the technologies and processes associated with charging infrastructure. Using a question-and-answer format, the guide walks readers through concepts like charging station ownership, load shapes, fees, siting, metrics for tracking charging, and more. The guide has been designed to be useful to readers with little to no familiarity with EV planning.

Figure 2. eGSE Chargers at San Diego International Airport

Source: Cadmus